Partition collapser



Aug. 14, 1956 A. F. sun-10s PARTITION COLLAPSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledApril 23, 1952 INVENTOR. 7' 54 510:

MW mm m w lame BY (9% Ygz g- 14, 5 A. F. SHIELDS 2,758,521

PARTITION COLLAPSER Filed April 23, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE TOR.

5547 Sims-2o;

United Sta e Patent iCorrugated Paper Machine y Gm, -Inc., Brooklyn, N.-Y., a-corporation of New York nis sliestibn April 23, use, serial283,812

' s claims. or. 93-37 g invention relates to a machine for collapsingand grasping partitions as they come from the partition assemblingmachine (more particularly an assembling ma- ;c' ln urine type "shown inmy prior Patent No. 2,392,-

In the 'ckagi'ng or articles of various "types, it is is'bintsne'ces's'a'ry to in the 'fckagiiig container for individual articles asfor "example "in the case of e'gg's, cartridges, bottles or otherfrangible of fragile articles.

To provide this compartmentaligation, partitions are "'ed from aseriesof 'i erlocking notched blanks which are inserted into'the contni'ei'.

Machines have been developed for assembling these partitions as shown,rurexampla-by Patents Nos. 2,392,- 005 or 2,414,336. These machinesproduce assembled partitions at g n fess fast 'a's' toicfr'eat'ehandling difficulties at the take-off end "of the machine in that-alight bulky partition must be removed by hand, collapsed, and groupedwith other partitions forsh-ipment to theipackage H861.

, When this is done by hand so many operators are requiredto handle theoutput of -a single machine as to require a large amount of floor spaceand even then to result in awkward working conditions.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a machine forcollapsing the assembled partitions as they come from the assemblingmachine.

An equally important object is to provide means for arranging thecollapsed partitions to facilitate ready bundling for shipment.

A further object of this invention is to provide a machine which mayreadily handle partitions of different sizes.

These and other objects of the invention as will appear hereinafter areachieved by means of the mechanism disclosed in the followingspecification taken in connection with the drawings in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side view similar to Figure 1 showing some ofthe collapsed partitions in edge piled relationship.

Figure 4 is a detail view of the partition orienter as seen in Figures 1and 2.

Figure 5 shows a top plan view of the partition in its position prior tobeing collapsed.

Figure 6 shows a top plan view of the partition as it is beingcollapsed.

Referring now to the drawings, it is seen that a sup porting framework 1comprising uprights 2 and 3 and suitable horizontal bracing is providedto support a driven endless belt feeder conveyor To the right of saidconveyor as seen in Figures 1 to 3 is seen a carriage 5 having rollers 6and 7 riding on inclined tracks 8 and formed on the supportingframework. By means of weight 9 the carriage is biased toward the leftas seen in Figures 1*3 due to the inclination of the pro ide individualcompartments of the partition in the manner shown necks. A Collapsibleabutment 111') "serves to prevent merenentiof 'thecarriage past a givenlimiting position. '01; the left hand edge of'th'e carriage as seen inFigures 1-'-3 isr nountd vertical'press'ure plate 11 having extensionsfor "contacting the partitions. I Frame 12 supported on the frameworkhas pivoted ther'e'to, through pivot 23 arm 13 'carryin'gbearin'gs 14fo'r roller 15. Deflector 16 is mounted by screws, rivets, for othersuitable fastenin means s t adjacent to roller 15 and has extensionsgoing into grooves 24 in roller. 15 to preventgmicles from being carriedupwardly by the roller. Boiler '15 may as shown comprise a plurality ofseotions15a'spring biased toward each other to permit the roller 15 toyield as the partition ends are driven out. Iii this case stripperfingers [6 are not used. I p

l3 is adjustabl'y mounted on frame 12 to provide a means for adjustingthe lreight of roller i5 with respect "to conveyor 4 so as 'to'perrni'tthe handling of various siied partitions. Adjustinentis achieved bymeans of shaft 17 raving its ower 'endthread'ed into tapped sleeve :18'pivot'ally fastenedto arm 13 and journ'alled in bearing 19 'pivo'tallymounted on frame 12. Shaft "17 "may "be turned to advance or retract thesleeve, thus raising or loweiin'g the anniy means of adjusting wheel Airori'ehter 21 having an adjustable finger 22 is supported on upright'3whose operation will subsequently be discussed.

conveyors and roller 15 are power driven from atominon source shownhei'eb'y nians of sprocket wheels 25, 2'6, 2'7; ZS-and 29 andchains-SQ, 31and 32 whichm'ay ubvio' sly tie replaced'by a myriad varietyof-gear'ing.

In employing the foregoing structure, partitions from the "assembling"machine are fed into -conveyor,feeder '4 which "carries them in thedirection of the arrows past orienter 21 -which 'engages the corner ofthe leading edge in Fig. 4. Since the conveyor continues to feed, in thedirectionshown by the arrows-(see Figures 5 and 6 the partition40-.pivots about finger 22 thereby causing it to partially collapse andto travel as shown in Figure 6.

On being fed further, the top surface of the partition is engaged byroller 15 which cooperates as an auxiliary feeder to the conveyor feederand pushes the partition up against pressure platell. Since the plate 11is forced in a direction opposite to the direction of feeding by weight9, the partition on abutting against the plate is collapsed, beingstructurally weaker than any of the members exerting a force on it.

The collapsed partition backed up by the pressure plate exerts asuflicient retarding force to collapse subsequently fed partitions. Anedge pileis thus formed as seen in Figure 3. As the pile is built up,plate 11 mounted on carriage 5 is forced along track 8 providing roomfor additional collapsed partitions.

The plate 11 may, if desired, be made in sections so that its height maybe varied to allow the partitions to extend above it. This allows theoperator to place a cord around the partitions and form a bundle.

A structure is thus provided where a single operator may readily handlethe output of a partition assembling machine, removing bunches ofcollapsed partitions as required for packing and shipping.

In the foregoing I have described my invention solely in connection witha specific preferred embodiment thereof. Since many variations andmodifications of my invention will now be apparent to those skilled inthe art, I prefer to be bound not by the specific disclosure hereincontained but only by the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. Apparatus for collapsing partitions comprising an endless beltconveyor for feeding said partitions, a stop at the end of said conveyorengaging the forward end of the fed partition and preventing furthermotion of the partition whereby the feeding action of the conveyor inconnection with the stop collapses the partition, and a roller mountedabove saidconveyor serving as an auxiliary feeder to serve to force saidpartitions against said stop, said roller being mounted on an adjustablearm and a deflector positioned before said roller; said deflectorengaging a corner of each of said partitions and causing them to rotateto a position where a diagonal of the partition extends parallel to thepath of travel thereof; said deflector comprising a guide disposed inthe path of travel of said partitions and at an angle thereto- 2.Apparatus for collapsing partitions comprising an I endless beltconveyor for feeding said partitions, a stop at the end of said conveyorengaging'the forward end engaging a corner of each of said partitionsand causing them to rotate to a position where a diagonal of thepartition extends parallel to the path of .travel thereof; saiddeflector comprising a guide disposed in the path of travel of saidpartitions and at an angle thereto and a projection from said guideengaging said corner of each partition.

3. Apparatus for collapsing partitions comprising an endless beltconveyor for feeding said partitions, a stop at the end of said conveyorengaging the forward end of the fed partition and preventing furthermotion of the partition whereby the feeding action of the conveyor inconnection with the stop collapses the partition, auxiliary feed meansmounted above said conveyor to force said partitions against said stop,said auxiliary feed means being adjustable toward and away from saidconveyor; and a deflector positioned before said roller; said deflectorengaging a corner of each of said partitions and causing them to rotateto a position where a diagonal of the partition extends parallel to thepath of travel thereof;

said deflector comprising a guide disposed in the path of travel of saidpartitions and at an angle thereto.

4. Apparatus for collapsing, partitions comprising an endless beltconveyor for feeding said partitions, a stop at the end of said conveyorengaging the forward end of the fed partition and preventing furthermotion of the partition whereby the feeding action of the conveyor inconnection with the stop collapses the partition, auxiliary feed meansmounted above said conveyor to force said partitions against said stop,said auxiliary feed means being adjustable toward and away from saidconveyor; and a deflector positioned before said roller; said deflectorengaging a corner of each of said partitions and causing them to rotateto a position where a diagonal of the partition extends parallel to thepath of travel thereof; said deflector comprising a guide disposed inthe path of travel of said partitions and at an angle thereto; said stopbeing mounted on a movable carriage, said carriage moving away from theconveyor as the pile builds 5. Apparatus for collapsing partitionscomprising an endless belt conveyor for feeding said partitions, a stopat the end of said conveyor engaging the forward end of the fedpartition and preventing further motion of the partition whereby thefeeding action of the conveyor in connection with the stop collapses thepartition, auxiliary feed means mounted above said conveyor to forcesaid partitions against said stop, said auxiliaryfeed means beingadjustable toward and away from said conveyor, and means located beforesaid roller for rotating each of said partitions to a position where adiagonal of the partition extends parallel to the path of travelthereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS369,944 Jaeger Sept. 13, 1887 694,634 Griswold Mar. 4, 1902 1,269,673Armstrong June 18, 1918 1,523,652 La Bombard et al. Jan. 20, 19251,993,915 Brown et al Mar. 12, 1935 2,392,746 Labombarde Jan. 8, 1946

